s stevens



' (No Model.)

c. STEVENS.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

PRINTING PRESS.

Patented July 7, 1896.

lllllillh (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. STEVENS.

PRINTING PRESS.

No. 563,627. PatentedJuly 7, 189.6.

ltllllu S (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

C. STEVENS. PRINTING PRESS.

Patented July 7, 1896:y

' y @vengan fg @Wim zwm (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

C. STEVENS.

. PRINTING PRESS.

No. 563,627. Patented July 7, .1896.

i ze, l @f/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES STEVENS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIVERSAL PRINTED ADDRESS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PRINTiNG-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 563,627, dated. J lily '7, 1896.

Application filed April 27, 1895. Serial No. 547,336. (No model.) l

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, CHARLES STEVENS, of Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Presses, of which-,the following is a specification.

illy invention relates particularly to printingpresses for printing addresses on envelops, postal cards, dro., and has forits object the providing of a simple, economical, and eiiicient address-printing press; and the invention consists in the featuresxand combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my machine; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section thereof, in vertical elevation, taken in a line about midway of the machine; Fig. 3, a longitudinal' section of the envelop-feeding mechanism, taken on line G of Fig. 5; Fig. 4, a transverse section of Fig. 3, taken on line 4 ofi-Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a plan view, partly in section, taken on line 5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a longitudinal detail of the actuating mechanism for operating the envelop-feeding mechanism shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 7, an enlarged detail of a portion of the mechanism for packing the printing-envelops or postal cards shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings; Fig. 8, an

enlarged detail of the discharging mechanism. Figs. 9 and l0 are enlarged transverse sect-ions of thc printing-plate guides, taken on lilies J and l0 of Fig. 2; Fig. ll, a perspective view of one of the independent addressprinting plates, and Figs. 12 and-13 reverse views of the escape mechanism for releasing the printing-plates.

In the art of printing it is well known that the printing of a large number of addresses directly onto envelops, postal cards, or similar articles is\the,rnost laborious as well as expensive process known in plain printing. This is largelydue to the fact that changes in v.addresses frequently occur, and where a large number have to be taken into consideration-say, between twenty and fifty thou-' now in use, such as the prin tingof addresses on large pieces of paper which are afterward gummed, and, by means of rmachinery,clipped and placed on the desired package, which alone entails large expense. Other means of printing, arrangement, dac., are now in vogue, which, however, I do not deem it necessary to detail here.

My invention is intended to obviate most of the disadvantages incident to the methods addressing plates are arranged in series of` any desired relation upon boards or metal plates, which may be stored away in any desired manner, so that free access may atall times be had for the purpose of changing the individual addressing-plates or to use any desired portion of them.

In constructing my improved print-ingpress, I make a main frame or bed A of the desired form and size, partaking generally of the form of a table, and secure to it in suitable bearin g-brackets a rotating impression-cylinder l5, preferably designed to carry around with it during each rotation one or more envelops or packages into proper position to have the address printed thereon. y Y

As illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, I have designed my cylinder of such size and proportions as to carry two envelops and print au address on them during each rotation.

To grasp the envelops and carry them aroundiduring their rotation, I provide two sets 'of nippers b of the type now in ordinary use, which are pivoted in proper position on the cylinder and arrangedl to beI actuated'in any of the usual manners. (Notshown in detail in the drawings.) As the impression-cylinder rotates the nippers b 'remain normally vclosed until th'ey have passed out from under rying the same a little more than one-half a revolution to the opposite position, when the nippers release the envelop and it is carried out by the discharging mechanism.

TO hold the envelops in their proper position to be fed into the machine and provide mechanism by which they are fed in at the correct period of time, I provide a rectangular open-ended box (l, which is secured to the main bed of the machine on suitable framework c in any convenient manner, and arrange envelops in a pile C' with their iiaps down, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, adjacent to the impression-cylinder. rlhe lower edge of the envelop rests on a ledge c', so as to leave a space between the lower envelop and the bottom of the box.

Arranged on the bottom of the box C2, which may be of any desired length, is a metal plate c2, upon'whieh is mounted and moved a reciprocating feed-slide C3, adapted to engage with the iiap of an envelop and push it out through the opening c3 of the box in time to engage with the nippers of the impressioncylinder. The end of the box at c3 is closed by means of a rubber iap c4, which serves to hold the envelop back until adjusted or alined properly on the reciprocating feedslide, so that when the envelop engages with the printing-cylinder it is properly alined.

To actuate the feed-slide at the proper time, I mount upon the shaft D, which c arries the rotating impression-cylinder, a disk cl, which is provided with two projecting pins d', oppositely arranged upon its side face to contact a sliding rod D. This sliding rod has one end pivotally connected with a double lever D2, which is pivoted on the frame c of the mach ine and which has its upper end provided with a cross-shaft d2, upon which is pivotally mounted a box D3. The box D3 is connected by means of the rod (Z3 to the feed-slide, so that as the cylinder rotates the pins on the disk d strike theAslide-rod D and vibrate the pivoted lever D2, so as to th row the feed-plate forward and feed in an envelop or similar article'. As the disk d rotates farther the sliding rod 1) is released and a spiral spring d4 acts to bring the parts back to their normal position, or in position to engage the next envelop in the pile C.

It will be understood that the disk d may be provided with any number of pins corresponding to the number of envelops that are printed during one rotation of the impression-cylinder.

To print the address upon Vthe envelop at the proper time, I provide independentadv dress-printing plates E, upon which iscast readily and easily. `'When it is desired to r bring the machine into action and print the addresses, one of these boards c is taken and its plates slid down upon an inclined guide' or chute E', that is secured to the main fra-nie of the machine by brackets c in any desired manner and at such an angle that the addressing-plates will, bytlieir own gravity, he fed into the machine.

To feed the plates in one at a time at regular and proper intervals, l arrange an escapement formed of primary and secondary detents at the lower end of the inclined table in the following manner: Mounted upon the shaft E2 are two cams e2 and e3, while pivotally and loosely mounted upon a shaft Ei" are vibrating lever-arms E4 and e4, which carry the detents. The lever E* carries the primary detent and is arranged to be operated by the cam e2 during its rotation, so that normally it will be in the position shown in Fig. l2 of the drawings, and the primary detent which is preferably formed of rubber, will rest upon one of the addressing-plates, preferably the lower, and hold it and the following ones from being fedinto the machine. As the shaft E rotates the primary lever is raised by its cam, and the cam e3 passes out of engagement with the second lever e4, so that the lever-arm drops down until the secondary detent e5 engages with the inclined table. .As the lever-arm wit-h its primarydetent is raised the entire set of addressing plates slide down the table, but are stopped from entering the machine by the secondary detent. The further rotation of the shaft rotates the cam e2 out of action with the primary lever, so that it again drops and the primary detent engages with the next addiessingplate. The continued rotation of the shaft again raises the lever with its secondary detent and permits one of the addressing-plates--the lower-to enter the machine.

To carry the addressing-plate along and print the required address upon the envelop, I provide a flexible carrier-belt G, which is mounted upon and driven by the pulleys g and g', which are mounted upon suitable shafts in the bearing-brackets upon the main frame of the machine. This plate-carrier is provided with stops G', projecting above the upper surface of the belt to .contact the addressing-plates and carry them along at the desired time and in proper alinement. Tp be sure that the addressing-plate is not carried in before its time or out of alinement, I secure tov the bed of the mach ine a flexible detent or brush G2, which holds the addressingplate back until a stop G comes along and carries it by into the press. As it is carried into the press hiking-rolls g2, of the usual type, apply the requisite amount of ink to the addressing-plate. Carried along farther it is brought into position to contact an `en velop on the impression-cylinder and im-v print the desired address.

To take the addressing-plates out of lthe IOS IIO

machine at the proper time,clean, and arrange them in their proper order upon boards or plates ready for subsequent use, I arrange an extension-plate II on the same plane as the upper surface of the flexible carrier, so that the addressing-plates are forced thereon, one at a time, and pass under a rapidly-rotating cleaning-brush ll', which is supplied With naphtha or benzene from a can h, and the upper surfaces cleaned. To further clean and dry the addressing-plates, I arrange preferably a felt brush h, which rotates in a horizontal plane and in position to contact the face of the type and dry it. The plates are then pushed along gradually, one at a time, by the projections upon the carrier unt-il the holder e is filled, when the holder is removed and the empty one put in its place to receive the subsequent address-plates.

To discharge thc printed envelops or packages after they are printed, I arrange a discharge-belt I, with one portion around the rotating printi11g-cylinder, (see Fig. 8,) and guide or carry it around its path by means of the idler-pulleys t", i2, and i3, having the pulley 3 arranged immediately over a discharging box or receptacle. Arranged immediately under the belt I is a secondary belt I', mounted on and rotated by the pulleys i and i2. The main discharging-belt I is driven by the rotating impression-cylinder and is in rubbing contact with the second or lower belt I', so that such belt is thereby propelled by frictional contact. As the rotating impressioncylinder revolves, as hereinbefore stated, the grasping-nippers Z) are released justbefore they come opposite the pulley yt", so that the addressed envelop is released and enters in between both the belts at about I3 and is carried thereby and between such belts, coming out at I" and dropping into the box'or receptacle I5 in the manner shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. To push the addressed envelops along in their receiving-box, so that there is always su'dicient room for a discharged orI discharging envelop, I pivot at any suitable point of the machine a pushing-lever K, preferably provided with an angular projection k, to which is secured at its free end a pushplate t', of about the size of an envelop and inside the envelop-receiving receptacle I5. Pivotally connected to this packing-arm or vibrating lever is a slide-rod K, which has one end mounted in a suitable bracket upon the frame of the machine and its opposite end provided with an upturned projection k2, arranged to be contacted by pins 7e3 upon a rotating disk K4, which is mounted upon and rotated by the shaft D. At theproper time and when an envelop has been discharged into the diseharging-receptacle the slide-rod K is pushed forward by the pins on the rotating disk and the pushing-lever vibrated to push any envelop in the receiving-box out of the way of the following envelope. The further rotation of the disk K4 carries its pin out of contact with the sliding rod, and a spiral spring K5 carries the part-s back to their normal position in condition to push forward another envelop and pack them closely, as illustratet'l in F ig. 2 of the drawings.

Mounted upon the rotating shaft Lis a d riving-pulley Il', which may be connected with any suitable source of motive power, and the diderent rotating shafts are connected with and driven by this driving-shaft, by means of the sprocket-wheels l, l', F, and l* and a sprocket-chain L?, iso that the proper time and speed of the different portions of the mechanism are thereby attained. 'lhe cleaning-brushes are driven by means of ille round belts M, grooved pulleys m lm', crossbelt m3, pulleys nl? ml, beveled pinions nf", and beveled gears in, I will not enter into a detailed description of the rest of such mechanism, as it is of the ordinary and usual construction, and can be readily understood by the ordinary mechanic or persons skilled in the art from a mere inspect ion of the d rawings.

In operation the envelops are pl aeed in their upright bo \,as shown in lvig. 2 of the drawi n and a set of addressing-plates are placed upon the inclined table in position to be t'ed into the machine. Power is then applied to the machine. The feed-slide is reciprocaied and an envelop pushed in in time to be. engaged by the grasping-nippers on the rotating impression-cylinder. rlhe envelop is carried around in time to meet the first addressing-plate, which is fed into the press in the manner hereinbefore described, and the address printed thereon. By this timca second envelop is led into engagement with the grasping-lingers on the opposite side of the printing-cylinder and carried into the position to be imprinted by the second addressing-plate, which is fed into the machine while the first envelop is discharged into the box I, and the first addressing-plate carried along, discharged, cleaned, and placed upon a plate ready for removal. These operations are continued indelinitely until any number of addresses can be printed upon any desired number of packages.

The principal advantage of my mechanism is that the addresses of any desired number of subscribers or people may be printed upon any desired number of packages in any desired sequence or order, and the addressingplates put away in a desired receptacle ready for use at any time.

While I have described my invention with more or less minuteness as to detail and as being embodied in precise forms, I do not desire to be limited thereto unduly, anymore than is pointed out in the claims. (n the contrary, I contemplate all proper changes i-n form, construction, and arrangement, the omission of parts and substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may suggest or necessity render expedient.

I claimlOO l. In address-printing press, the combination of a rotatingimpression-cylinder, for carrying an envelop or similar article into position to be printed, an endless iiexible'carrierbelt arranged to travel in a path directly under the impression-cylinder, stops on such belt arranged' to bring the address-printing plates into contact with the cylinder at desired time or times, an inclined table for holding and feeding the address-printing plates onto the carrier-beltha double detent-lever escapement for holding the individual addressprinting plates and permitting them to be fed onto the carrier-belt one at a time at the desired moments of time, and a iiexible detent adapted to hold the address-printing plates until. contacted by the stop on the carrierbelt and properly position the same, substantiallyV` as described.

2. In address-printing press, the combination of a rotatingimpression-cylinder, forearrying an envelop or similar article into position to be printed, an endless flexible carrierloelt arranged to travel in a path directlyunder the impression-cylinder, stops on such belt arranged to bring the address-printing plates into contact with the cylinder at-de sired time or times, an inclined table forholding and feeding the address-printing plates onto the carrier-belt, a double detent-lever eseap'ement for holding the individual addressprinting plates and permitting them to be fed onto the carrier-belt one at a time at the desired moments of time, means for feeding the envelops forward to the impression-cylinder at the proper time, leanson the impressioncylinder for grasping the envelop or similar article, and an endlessbeltadapted to receive the printed article and deliver it to a suitable point of discharge, substantially as described.

3. In address-printing press, the combination of a rotating impression-cylinder, forearryingan envelop or similar article into position to be printed, an endless flexible carrierbeltarran ged to travel in a path directly under the impression-cylinder, stops on such belt arranged to'bring the address-printing plates into contact with the cylinder at des ired time or times, an inclined table for holding and feeding the address-printing plates onto the carrier-belt, a doubledetent-lever escapement for holding the individual addressprinting plates and permitting them to be fed onto the carrier-belt one at a time at the desired moments of time, a iexible detent adapted to hold the address-printing plates until contacted bythe stop on the carrier- Vbelt and properly position the same, means located adjacent to the carrier-belt and between the iiexible detent and impression-cylinder for applying ink to the individual address-printing plates, substantially as described.

v 4. In address-printing press, the combination of a rotating impression-cylinder, for carrying an envelop or similar article into position to be printed, an endless flexible carrierbelt arranged to travel in a path directly under the impression-cylinder, stops on such belt arranged to bring the address-printing plates int-o contact With the cylinder at the desired time or times, an inclined table for holding and feeding the address printing plates onto the carrier-belt, a double detentlever escapement for holding the individual address-printing plates and permitting them to be fed onto the carrier-belt one at a time at the desired moments .of time, flexible detent adapted to hold the address -printing plates until contacted by the stop on the carrier-belt and properly position the same,

means located adjacent to. the carrier-belt and between the flexible detent and impression-cylinder for applying ink to the individual address-printin g plates, a brush arranged adjacent to the discharging-point on the carrier-belt to clean the face and sides of the type, and a secondary felt brush rigidly mounted in a plane with the type for cleaning and drying the face of the type, substantiall y as described.

5. In address-printing press, the combination of arotatingimpression-cylinder, for carrying an envelop or similar article into position to be printed, an endless iexible carrierbelt arranged to travel in a path directly undei" the impression-cylinder, stops on such Vbelt arranged to bring the address-printing plates into contact with the cylinder at a desired time or times, an inclined table for holding and feeding the address printing plates onto the carrier-belt, a double detentlever escapement for holding the individual address-printing plates and permitting them to be fed onto the carrier-belt one at a time at the the desiredmoments of time, means for feeding the .envelops forward to the impression-cylinder at the proper time, means on the impression-roller for grasping the envelop or similar article, an endless belt adapted to receive the printed article and deliver it to a suitable point of discharge, a receptacle adapted to receive the discharged printed en- IOO IIO

velops, and means for pushing the imprinted i CHARLES STEVENS. 'Witnesses THOMAS F. SHERIDAN,

THOMAS B. MCGREGOR. 

